XP Application Secrets

1.Easter Eggs (Definition) - A hidden message or

feature in an application. This guide covers the

undocumented and hidden features in Windows XP. All

of the following were tested in Windows XP only.

Notes - This is not a performance related guide,

use the Optimize XP Guide to improve system

performance and the Diagnose XP Guide to

troubleshoot a system problem.


a. Defrag

Secret - Hidden Command Line Switch
Instructions - Go to "Start", "Run" and Type defrag

c: -b to defragment the Boot and Application

Prefetch information.

Notes - Windows XP will run this automatically

every three days or so, during system idle periods.

BootVis will evoke this when you run the "Optimize

System" function. There is no need to manually run

this unless you wish to immediately optimize a

newly installed application's load time.


b. Paint

Secret - Image Trails
Instructions - Open an image and hold down Shift

then drag the image around to create an image

trail.

Secret - 10x Zoom
Instructions - Open an image and select the

magnifying glass icon. Left-Click exactly on the

line below the 8x.


2.Game Secrets


a. FreeCell

Secret - Instant Win
Instructions - Hold down Ctrl + Shift + F10 during

game play. Then you will be asked if you want to

Abort, Retry or Ignore. Choose Abort, then move any

card to instantly win.

Secret - Hidden Game Modes
Instructions - In the "Game" menu choose "Select

Game". Enter -1 or -2 to activate the hidden game

modes.


b. Hearts

Secret - Show All Cards
Instructions - Edit this registry key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curren

tVersion\Applets\Hearts and create a new String

value named ZB with a Data value of 42. Start

Hearts and Press Ctrl + Alt + Shift + F12 to show

all the cards.

Background - This secret is a reference to Douglas

Adams' book the Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

'ZB' is the initials of the character Zaphod

Beeblebrox, the Galactic President. '42' is the

answer to The Ultimate Question Of Life, the

Universe and Everything.


c. Minesweeper

Secret - Reveal Mines
Instructions - Minimize or close all running

applications. Launch Minesweeper, then type xyzzy.

Next hold down either shift key for one second. Now

when you move the mouse cursor over a Minesweeper

square you will see a tiny white pixel in the top

left corner of your desktop screen. This pixel will

change to black when your mouse moves over a mine.

You may need to change you desktop background to a

solid color other then white or black to see the

pixel.

Secret - Stop Timer
Instructions - Launch Minesweeper and start a game

so the timer starts counting, then press the

Windows Key + D to show the desktop. Now when you

select minesweeper from the taskbar you can

continue playing with the timer stopped.


d. Pinball

Secret - Extra Balls
Instructions - Type 1max at the start of a new ball

to get extra balls.

Secret - Gravity Well
Instructions - Type gmax at the start of a new game

to activate the Gravity Well.

Secret - Instant Promotion
Instructions - Type rmax at the start of a new game

to go up in ranks.

Secret - Skill Shot
Instructions - Launch the ball partially up the

chute past the third yellow light bar so it falls

back down to get 75,000 points. There are six

yellow light bars that are worth a varying amount

of points:

First: 15,000 points
Second: 30,000 points
Third: 75,000 points
Fourth: 30,000 points
Fifth: 15,000 points
Sixth: 7,500 points

Secret - Test Mode
Instructions - Type hidden test at the start of a

new ball to activate Test Mode. No notification

will be given that this is activated but you can

now left-click the mouse button and drag the ball

around. While in test mode press the following keys

for more secrets:

H - Get a 1,000,000,000 High Score
M - Shows the amount of system memory
R - Increases your rank in game
Y - Shows the Frames/sec rate

Secret - Unlimited Balls
Instructions - Type bmax at the start of a new

ball. No notification will be given that this is

activated but when a ball is lost a new ball will

appear from the yellow wormhole indefinitely. Once

this is activated you will be unable to activate

other secrets without restarting the game.


e. Solitaire

Secret - Instant Win
Instructions - Press Alt + Shift + 2 during game

play to instantly win.

Secret - Draw single cards in a Draw Three game
Instructions - Hold down CTRL + ALT + SHIFT while

drawing a new card. Instead of drawing three cards

you will only draw one.


3. OS Secrets

a. Add/Remove

Secret - Hidden Uninstall Options
Instructions - Warning: Proceed at your own risk!

Browse to C:\Windows\inf\ and make a backup copy of

sysoc.inf. Then open the original file

C:\Windows\inf\sysoc.inf in notepad. Go to "Edit"

and select "Replace". In "Find what:" type ,hide

and in "Replace with:" type , then select "Replace

All", save and close the file. Go to the "Control

Panel", "Add/Remove", select "Add/Remove Windows

Components". You will now see many more Windows

components to uninstall. Do not remove anything

with no label or that you do not recognize or fully

understand what it does. Doing so can break certain

functionality in Windows.


b. Control Panel

Secret - Hidden Control Panel Extensions
Instructions - Download and install TweakUI,

launch, go to "Control Panel" and check any item

not selected, then "Apply" and "OK". You will now

see the hidden control panel extensions.


c. Device Manager

Secret - Hidden Devices
Instructions - Go to the "Control Panel", "System"

icon, "Hardware" tab and select "Device Manager".

Select "View" and Show hidden devices.

Secret - Phantom Devices
Instructions - Go to "Start", "Programs",

"Accessories" and select "Command Prompt". At the

command prompt, type "set

devmgr_show_nonpresent_devices=1" and press Enter.

At the command prompt, type "start devmgmt.msc" and

press Enter. Select "View" and Show hidden devices.

You can see devices that are not connected to the

computer. - Source

Notes - When you close the command prompt window,

Windows clears the

"devmgr_show_nonpresent_devices=1" variable that

you set and prevents phantom devices from being

displayed when you select "Show hidden devices".


d. Music

Secret - Music from the Installer
Instructions - Browse to

C:\Windows\system32\oobe\images\title.wma and play.

Notes - "OOBE" stands for "Out-of-Box Experience".

e. Shutdown

Secret - Display Hibernate Option on the Shut Down

dialog
Instructions - Go to "Start", "Turn Off

Computer..." and press either Shift key to change

the "Stand By" button to "Hibernate".


f. Support Tools

Secret - Over 100 Windows XP Support Utilities are

on the install CD

Instructions for Pre-SP2 users - If you do not have

SP2 installed, put the original Windows XP CD in

the CD-ROM Drive, run the

D:\Support\Tools\setup.exe file.

Instructions for SP2 users - If you have SP2

installed, Download the Windows XP Service Pack 2

Support Tools and install.